Originally we thought of adding the usual guest reviewer to the Levelheaded section but instead we’d like to try something a little different. Every so often we will feature a guest artist and their themed tape for the section. Now keep in mind, it’s not a real tape but more of a dream list they’ve created before putting a tape together. Now it’s up to you to make hunt down the tracks! And now we present Mat Ducasse a.k.a. Matty Skylab! Matty’s previous credits include taking a lot of L.S.D. and creating his early tracks before hooking up with Howie B and TKO to record the incredible 1994 release, Skylab #1. Since then he released his second album, has been touring with Tim ‘Love’ Lee and Thomas "The Mammal" Bullock as the DJ team Skylab Sound Systems. In addition to his recent 7” release for Tummy Touch’s ‘Touch Tones’ label, Matty (according to his bio) is working on an ‘ biography’ "Electronic Elvis" with Paul Fryer, collaborating with some guy named Wildcat Will as The Electric Moccasins of Doom, a lady named Crazy Girl, writing tunes with Sausage and rocking out with The Girls!! Watch Out! Last we heard, Tim ‘Love’ Lee mentioned Matty was M.I.A. in the UK somewhere! Have you seen him?

A note from Matty:
“I hope I'm doing this right, if not it's too late and we will all die horribly. Anyway I was going to do a list of Elvis covers, then I got sick of it, then I was going to do a list of hopeful songs laced with a bittersweet taste of inevitable tragedy, but I could only think of three, so instead, owing to this and that, I celebrate:”

THE WONDERFUL AND TRAGIC GLORY OF LOVE

10 songs that bring joy and delight, majestical, delicate, transcendental. Nothing filthy and in no particular order:

1. STRAWBERRY LETTER #23 - SHUGGIE OTIS (EPIC)
Shuggie's delicate psychedelic love song, a shimmering haze of bells easing into an ascending mist of guitar arpeggios.

2. MINNIE RIPPERTON - LES FLEURS (CADET)
The apex of Charles Stepney's genius as an arranger, writer and producer, epic, choral yet intimate with a sweet as dew vocal.

3. PHAROAH SANDERS - LOVE IS EVERYWHERE (impulse!)
Epic freakout in two halves - frenetic, pounding, manic, percussive, chants, then delicate contemplative, lyrical.

4. SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES - MORE LOVE (TAMLA MOTOWN) Heartfelt love song convincingly promises lifelong devotion following his wife's 5th miscarriage, Marvin Tarplin's music shifts steadily upward with each pledge.

5. TODD RUNDGREN - JUST ONE VICTORY (BEARSVILLE)
Closing track from Todd's mind-blowing, kaleidoscopic cornucopia 'a wizard, a true star' urging one last effort for the love revolution, already doomed to failure...

6. SERGIO MENDES & BRAZIL 67 - WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW (A&M)
Bacharach and David's easy-listening standard played VERY fast with an unbelievable church bells and orchestra finale

7. NINA SIMONE - MY WAY (PHILLIPS)
Nina does a similar thing with this awful song and turns it into a lilting celebration, sweeping strings and frantic congas.

8. SAMMY DAVIS JR. - RHYTHM OF LIFE (MCA)
From the soundtrack of Bob Fosse's sixties classic musical, this eastern flavored romp is both a satire and a celebration of San Francisco hippie cults

9. THE POLYPHONIC SPREE - 02 (GOOD RECORDS)
26 piece fron Dallas Texas, this manages to be just the right side of whimsy, full of light and shade, a big, sweeping sound points out that 'suicide is a shame'. everyone should see this band at least once before they die.

10. AL GREEN - L.O.V.E. (LONDON)
The greatest singer on the great subject. 'I would give my life for the glory to be able to tell the story about love'

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